Hounslow services win Ofsted praise

Hounslow's services for children and young people have been rated among the best in the country by Ofsted.

The inspectorate said the London borough's provisions "perform excellently" and "the large majority of services, settings and institutions inspected by Ofsted are good or outstanding".

The council's performance was measured against both similar local authorities and national benchmarks.

In its report, which was published on 8 November, Ofsted said that young people from low-income families in the borough achieve well and have closed the gap with their peers.

It also found that attainment levels for young people with special education needs are slightly above those found in comparable areas and above the national average.

Councillor Lily Bath, Hounslow's cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: "This is a fantastic judgement and I'd like to thank everyone who works with children and young people in the borough for their contribution to these findings.

"It is particularly pleasing to see the progress we've made since last year's report, which shows we are determined to keep improving despite the constraints we face.

"There are still some areas we need to work on, but we are clear in what we need to do and how we will do it.

"We will never stop working hard to make sure children and young people in the borough get the best start possible in life."